Note: Spiritual Struggles is the first of five sections that compose this one longer article on Reviving Our Faith through God's Word which specifically identifies many of our spiritual struggles. The purpose of this larger series, Renewing Our Lives and Minstries Through God's Word, is to revive your spiritual life through improving the quality of your personal devotional times. (Click to see this series' full 3-day ADT schedule.)

Spiritual Struggles

How many here know of someone spiritually struggling? Most of us, if we turn and take time to look, will find a number of fellow Christians who are confused, doubtful and even despairing. How is it that Christians enter into such periods? Is it necessary?

This article focuses on reviving our faith through God’s Word. It is at once an admission that our faith needs to be revived. If not more rarely, here and there, then quite commonly, often and regular. Our faith needs to be strengthened. But how? It certainly does not arise through a ploy of convincing oneself that all is well or that it does not really matter. From Hebrews 11:1 we remember that it is through our faith that we can see and respond to spiritual truths. Without this faith, we can not rightly ascertain or respond to God, His will and glory as seen in His word or otherwise. Without faith, our spiritual vision is dim and therefore our lives are little, if at all, moved by stimuli arising from the spiritual world. If our spiritual vision wanes, then we out of necessity will pay heed to the world’s forces. The world, in those cases, dominates our sight and mind. When we get spiritually weak, then we will get worldly strong. Our soul who once was vibrant and strong can later cower behind a shadow of doubt.

So what would you say to a brother who asked, “How can I get back to God?” Or, “Why do I always seem to be losing the battle?” Or perhaps, you yourself are wondering, “How can I grow stronger? What keeps me from being a strong Christian?” I, like many of you, have gone through many trying times. Instead of being strong, many times I was weak. I have failed. The truth is that we do not need to slip and fall. A toddler will at times falter, but it is not expected for the established Christian. What would you then say to the Christian seeking renewal?

Recommendations Anyone?

Most of us would come up with a quick list of recommendations.

• Get up earlier and meet God.

• Have longer time in the Word.

• Need to build deeper roots by studying theology.

• Just wait. Growth comes with age and experience.

• Need to use ‘my’ Bible. My version is better.

• You need some spiritual experience.

These things sometimes work. More often than not, however, they only become temporary fixes. We all know getting up early to meet God can help. But what happens when I fall to sleep after I get up or that my time with God gets rather ‘stale’ even after spending longer times in the Word? Each offered solution can fall short because it has a focus on habit rather than on the things that directly affect our faith. Of course, if we have the wrong set of habits, improving them can greatly help one’s spiritual life. Some Christians ashamedly do not know about spiritual disciplines. But even with the best of habits, sometimes, we end up with boring and dull prayer times. By mandating longer readings, we end up despising the time even more. We know this is wrong, and yet, these battles are ever so common. > Next